Alexa Adams's Blog, page 16

Darcy By Any Other Name by Laura Hile

I can think of few authors who do justice to Jane Austen's fine appreciation for the absurd, but Laura Hile is certainly one of them. Her Mercy's Embrace trilogy (read my reviews) has long been amongst my very favorite Austenesque stories, and it was with impatience that I waited for the day last summer when I finally got to greedily devour a new book by Ms. Hile. I admit to feeling some

Horatio Nelson at the NPG and in Edinburgh

by Lemuel Francis Abbott, oil on canvas, 1797

I am not hugely enamored with military history, but one cannot study Jane Austen's era without knowing something of Nelson. For better or worse, my early impressions of the man were defined by the 1941 film That Hamilton Woman (it's amazing how many characters, both real and fictional, were first introduced to me as Laurence Olivier). Those of us

Scribblers Tour of the National Portrait Gallery

I went a little crazy on this month's Austen Author's post, where I put together my "Scribblers Tour" of the Ntaional Portrait Gallery. Here is the beginning. Please come by and check out the rest of the post. I had a lot of fun putting it together, and I hope those who read it find it gratifying.

I have been traveling. Oh, have I been traveling! I spent a week in Edinburgh last month and then

I went a little crazy on this month's Austen Author's pos...

I went a little crazy on this month's Austen Author's post, where I put together my "Scribblers Tour" of the Ntaional Portrait Gallery. Here is the beginning. Please come by and check out the rest of the post. I had a lot of fun putting it together, and I hope those who read it find it gratifying.

I have been traveling. Oh, have I been traveling! I spent a week in Edinburgh last month and then

Jane Austen Lives Again by Jane Odiwe

It's been forever since I wrote a review! And I read a bunch of great Austenesque novels over the summer, so I have a lot of backtracking and sharing to do. I believe my best reviews are written when when I have just finished a novel, so I fear I won't really be doing these books justice. However, a late and short review is better than no review at all. Believe me, I know.

I had the very great

The Prince Regent and Crew: Room 17 of the National Portrait Gallery, London

George IV doesn't get a lot of credit. Quite frankly, he's not very deserving of it. However, he did set the tone for the final years in which Austen lived, and though she spent most of her life under his father's rule, it is the Regency period with which we associate her. His best legacy is his patronage of the arts, and as an early admirer of Austen "suggested" she dedicate Emma to him.

Jane Austen's Portrait

I'm home! I had a fabulous time with family in Scotland then on my own in Bath at the Jane Austen Festival. I learned so much, and my current intention is to reinvigorate my blog by sharing my adventure with you. What better place to start than with the lady who made it all happen?



by Cassandra Austen, pencil and watercolor, circa 1810


I flew into London the day before the festival began and

Marriage, Over the Anvil

It's been a long time! Too long. I am now a year into to my expat life in Switzerland. My daughter has started kindergarten, and suddenly I can find time to blog once more! Yeah! I'm not sure what my frequency will be for a time - I'm trying to finish writing all the books I abandoned a year and a half ago - but I have to start somewhere.

That somewhere is Scotland. I'm off to Edinburgh tomorrow

Catwalk - An Amazing Fashion Exhibit at the Rijksmuseum

Here are some pictures from my latest post at Austen Authors. Read the complete post: http://austenauthors.net/catwalk-an-a...





I was fortunate to be in Amsterdam this week and see Catwalk, a glorious exhibit of clothing from the 17th through mid-19th centuries at the Rijksmuseum. Oh my goodness! It was the most impressive display of

I'm Here!

My poor neglected blog!

I seem to have written those words far too often. Sigh.

Big changes in my life. I now live in Switzerland. That's my prime excuse for the terribly long silence.

I'm supposed to be writing a blog post for Austen Authors right now. It goes live tomorrow! But I have been beset by terrible writing blockage. All my stated goals for the year fell apart in face of The Move.